Canned beverages are often dispensed from vending machines. Of necessity, the interior of such vending machines are of heavyduty construction, typically made of metal. In operation, once the correct amount of money is inserted and a choice of beverage made, a keeper is released, causing the canned beverage to drop into a dispensing bin. Oftentimes the drop is substantial and causes damage to at least one end or to the cylindrical portion of the can. Similarly, such damage can occur during transport from the warehouse to the retail store or to a vending machine. In the typical case of a beverage can that is openable by a pull tab, even minor distortion of the lip or top portion of the can can cause breaks in the pull tab seal, which in turn causes loss of at least some of the can's contents and, if the beverage is carbonated, a considerable mess. There is therefore a need for a device of simple construction that is capable of protecting beverage cans from damage by dampening the shock from dropping them onto a hard surface. This need is met by the present invention.
There is also an ongoing need in the canned container and canister industry for carriers of simple lightweight construction and easy application that are capable of bundling a plurality of cylindrical containers or canisters into a single package to be transported, displayed, stored, stacked or sold as a single unit. These needs are also met by the present invention.